Another thing to add to our list of things not to do: Don’t install insulation when it’s over 90 degrees outside.
Disclaimer: Obviously there is a huge time delay between when we installed the insulation and when I actually got around to writing this post. It would definitely be much more pleasant now that it’s November.
We wanted to go with blown cellulose, but quickly learned that Chattanooga is too humid for a material that absorbs moisture so easily. We also considered closed cell spray foam, but it would have cost upwards of $30k. Therefore, we were stuck with fiberglass.
In order to handle the fiberglass, we always made sure to wear a full Tyvek suit, gloves, and a HEPA P100 particulate filter. Unfortunately, the barrier that is meant to keep particles of fiberglass away from our skin was also quite effective at eliminating airflow within the suit and holding in body heat. Eventually it got so unbearably hot that John started working overnight and then sleeping during the day.
I promise this isn’t actually how we cut the fiberglass…
For our cathedral ceilings, we either had to use external rigid foam below the roof deck (way too late for that) or use closed cell spray foam, in order to prevent condensation from air that rises up into the rafters. We contacted a number of companies, but only two were even willing to take a look. One ended up giving us an outrageously high quote, while the other didn’t have a hose long enough to reach. In the end, we purchased materials, watched a bunch of youtube videos, and did the spray foam ourselves for approximately $1500.
John spraying foam into gaps between the wood framing and the concrete stem walls
The closed cell spray foam after installing it in part of the cathedral ceilings.
To keep the spray-foam off of his glasses, John made super fancy tape covers for them…
In order to spray-foam the tall ceiling above a staircase, John concocted this clearly not-at-all-sketchy contraption to allow us to use our cheap ladder on the stairs
For some reason, the city of Chattanooga requires two separate inspections for the insulation, one of which needs to be done by an outside company (and generally costs money). Months ago, we discovered something that EPB – our local electric/internet company offers, called Smart Build. By meeting some random terms and conditions – such as pre-wiring our house with CAT-5E ethernet and installing a low voltage home run box – we get up to $3,000 in cost saving benefits. One of these is that they provide the insulation test for free, and we definitely took advantage of it.
Now that it is November and the temperature has dropped from the 90’s to the 40’s, we’re loving having our insulation in place. The temperature fluctuation in the house over any given week is within a few degrees, despite that fact that we don’t have heating or AC hooked up yet. It’s so much more pleasant to work in an environment that’s always hovering in the 60’s, and we’re curious to see how low our energy bills will be if we ever finish the house.
A view of our living room with all the insulation put in
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